The ancestors of the Woldand surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in or near any of the places named Walden in Essex, Hertfordshire, and Northern Yorkshire. Woldand is a local surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Other types of local surnames include topographic surnames, which could be given to a person who lived beside any physical feature, such as a hill, stream, church or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. The surname Woldand comes from the Old English words wealh and denu, which mean foreigner and valley. Thus, the surname would have been given to a person who was a stranger from a valley. Another source claims a slightly different origin of the place name: "The name Walden is said to be derived from the Saxon words Weald and Den, signifying a woody valley. At a latter period the place was called Waldenburgh. " [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Woldand Early Origins

The surname Woldand was first found in Essex at Saffron Walden. "The name Walden is said to be derived from the Saxon words Weald and Den, signifying a woody valley. At a latter period the place was called Waldenburgh; and in the reign of Stephen." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Some of the family were granted the lands of Walden Abbey and adopting their surname from those lands. However, while the name originates in this county, the first on record was Godeman de Waldena who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1176 in Hertfordshire. Simone de Waldene was listed in 1304 in Yorkshire. Another early record of the name is of Thomas Walden, recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Essex, 1377. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) Today, Saffron Walden is a market town in Uttlesford district of Essex, home of Walden Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, founded by Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex between 1136 and 1143. Walden and Walden Head are hamlets in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire and Walden Stubbs is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire.

Woldand Spelling Variations

Woldand Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Woldand include Walden, Waldern, Waldon, Waldew and others.

Woldand Early History

Woldand Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Woldand research. Another 93 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1405, 1401, 1372, 1388, 1390, 1406, 1397, 1405, 1406, 1387 and 1405 are included under the topic Early Woldand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Woldand Early Notables (pre 1700)

Woldand Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Alexander Walden (died 1401), knighted by 1372, Member of Parliament for Essex (1388-1390); Roger Walden (died 1406), Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397, an English...

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Woldand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Humphrey and Robert Walden who settled in Virginia in 1623; Sam Walden who settled in Virginia in 1635; Thomas Walden, his wife and children and servants arrived in Barbados in 1680.

The Woldand Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Woldand Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.